2025 is the strongest year for RTS in ages, but the big breakout hit hasn’t arrived yet

The golden age of Real Time Strategy games might have wrapped up back in the mid-2000s, but it looks like 2025 is shaping up to be a big comeback year for the genre. On Steam, a bunch of new titles are pulling in healthy player numbers and earning glowing reviews. That said, we’re still waiting for that one breakout hit to really push RTS back into the mainstream.

2025’s RTS scene is strong

After 2007, RTS games started to fade out, and it’s not hard to see why. Consoles were taking over, but RTS games rely on precise mouse and keyboard controls, which just didn’t work well with controllers. New genres like MOBAs shook up the market, free-to-play and mobile gaming took off, and casual audiences pulled the industry’s focus elsewhere. RTS just didn’t adapt quickly to microtransactions or mobile-friendly formats like other genres did, so naturally, fewer and fewer games were coming out.

Source: Cataclismo; Developer: Digital Sun

But the genre hasn’t disappeared completely. We’ve seen some great games over the past few years, and 2025 just feels more special for RTS space. Titles like Cataclismo launched in Early Access and quickly built a healthy number of active players, earning almost 90% positive ratings on Steam. Tempest Rising has been racking up high scores from us and other media, and Broken Arrow, while still polishing some rough edges and dealing with cheaters, has managed to maintain a solid player base, with almost 10,000 concurrent players every day.

Stronghold Crusader made a comeback too, with the Definitive Edition dropping just a month ago, and like Cataclismo, it’s sitting at 90% positive reviews on Steam. The Scouring, with its fast-paced battles, just launched in Early Access two days ago and already has 86% positive reviews. And we’re not even at the end of August yet! Later today, Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War Definitive Edition will launch – one of the all-time classic RTS games.

Stormgate – Fun lost in balance

But not all new titles had a smooth start. Stormgate, which came out just over a week ago, is catching a lot of heat. Players say it misses the point of what makes RTS fun, trading excitement for balance and esports focus, and its Fortnite-like visuals don’t help. The biggest backlash, though, is over money.

Source: Stormgate; Developer: Frost Giant Studios

Kickstarter backers paid $40–$60 for Founder’s Packs to get early access, only to find some content locked behind extra purchases. With campaign chapters and other features sold separately, many feel it’s excessive and even misleading after paying so much up front, for a game that is now free-to-play.

The RTS comeback is real, but the big hit is still coming

Even with solid results and very positive reviews, none of these games have really broken into the mainstream. Active player numbers are decent (around 10,000 concurrent players is respectable) but that’s still far from the blockbuster peaks of major releases. Positive reviews help, but there hasn’t been a “viral” moment; no title has made headlines outside the RTS crowd. Marketing also lags behind bigger genres like RPGs or FPS games.

2025 is undoubtedly the best year for RTS games in a while, with lots of releases and a variety of styles. But a true hit, something comparable to phenomena like Age of Empires II, Warcraft II, or StarCraft, is still ahead of us. Maybe we’ll see it this fall or early 2026. Fingers crossed, for myself and for every RTS fan out there.

Tempest Rising

April 24, 2025

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• strategy games
• oldschool / retro
• RTS